John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush Star in Terrifying Puppet Movie: The Rule of Jenny Pen

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A movie that Stephen King described as “one of the best films I’ve seen this year” has recently unveiled its trailer. Known as “The Rule of Jenny Pen“, or the “creepy puppet film,” it features John Lithgow portraying Dave Crealy, a psychopath residing in a care home who torments his fellow residents using a hand puppet. Additionally, the movie stars Geoffrey Rush as Stefan Mortensen, a former Judge who suffered a stroke and finds himself sharing a space with Crealy at Royal Pine Mews.

The movie is helmed by director James Ashcroft (of “Coming Home in the Dark”) and jointly penned by Eli Kent and Ashcroft himself, with inspiration drawn from a short story by Owen Marshall. From what I’ve seen in the trailer, it seems to carry an eerie vibe reminiscent of Stephen King. Notably, it garnered a couple of accolades at Fantastic Fest last September; James Ashcroft took home the Best Director award and Rush bagged the Best Actor prize. Here is the official summary of the storyline:

*Note that for brevity, I’ve combined your sentences slightly differently but preserved the original meaning.*

Judge Stefan Mortensen (played by Rush), known for his arrogance, experiences a severe stroke that leaves him partially incapacitated and living in a retirement home. He’s standoffish towards the staff and keeps his distance from his amiable roommate. However, things take an ominous turn when he encounters Dave Crealy (portrayed by Lithgow), who appears kind-hearted but is secretly terrorizing the home with a cruel game called “The Rule of Jenny Pen” and using a doll as a tool for his sadistic actions. What initially seems like harmless teasing quickly spirals into more serious and unsettling events. When Mortensen’s pleas to the staff fall on deaf ears, he decides to take matters into his own hands and put an end to Crealy’s reign of terror.

‘The Rule of Jenny Pen’ Trailer is Big on Terror, and Features Two Legendary Actors

It’s evident that Rush’s character Judge Mortensen not only lives in the house, but is also undergoing specific therapy due to a stroke he suffered in court. On the other hand, Lithgow’s Crealy appears to be well-liked by the staff, but conceals a sinister truth. Although they believe him to be harmless, at night he unnerves his fellow residents with the doll he refers to as Jenny Pen.

The movie has received rave reviews not just from Stephen King, but also from film critic Jenny Baumgarten of the Austin Chronicle. She stated that the exceptional acting by Lithgow and Rush in “The Rule of Jenny Pen” makes it a must-watch.

Lithgow demonstrates exceptional acting prowess across a wide range of genres, effortlessly shifting between comedic roles like “3rd Rock From the Sun” and “Shrek,” dramatic performances such as “Terms of Endearment,” and even villainous ones in series like “Dexter” and “Raising Cain.” He immerses himself fully in the character of Crealy, delivering a captivating portrayal of the psychopathic puppeteer. On the other hand, Rush is equally impressive, earning an Oscar for his portrayal of David Helfgott in “Shine” and starring as Barbossa in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series. The film promises a thrilling showdown between these two talented actors.

Initially, “The Rule of Jenny Pen” was slated for streaming on Shudder, but due to IFC Films, it’s now set to hit theaters on March 7. Later in the year, you’ll find it on Shudder as well.

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2025-02-04 02:01